"How troublesome" (めんどくせー, mendokusē, English TV: What a drag) is Shikamaru Nara's catchphrase. Shikamaru purposely uses this phrase to toss his point across that he's the type that would rather watch clouds all day than pick a fight, especially with a female opponent. This phrase is also used sometimes by Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara. He most likely "inherited" this attitude and catchphrase from his father, since his mother, has a more active attitude, which he and his father sometimes find "bothersome".

Trivia

In proper short-form Japanese, the phrase is mendōkusai (面倒くさい, 面倒臭い), however, Shikamaru has a habit of slurring the word, saying it with an "ē" instead of "ai". This is also the shortest possible form, making "mendokuse" an extremely rude way to say "troublesome". The proper, polite/neutral form is mendōkusakutte (desu) (面倒くさくって(です)).